电商平台安全保障义务“相应责任”规制研究

A Study on the Regulation of “Corresponding Liability” for E-Commerce Platforms’ Duty of Safety Assurance

摘要: 《电子商务法》第38条确立了电子商务平台经营者的安全保障义务，将安全保障义务的适用介质由物理空间扩展至虚拟网络空间，有利于强化对消费者人身和财产安全的保障。但是，该条第2款“相应的责任”表述过于模糊，赋予了裁判者过大的自由裁量权，加之学界对“相应的责任”的责任形态究竟为何争鸣不休，致使司法实践运用不统一。为消除上述弊病，在体系协调上，确定相应责任为侵权责任满足立法精神，采用过错责任原则规则等明晰相应责任在实践中的精准适用。

Abstract: Article 38 of the E-Commerce Law establishes the duty of safety assurance for e-commerce platform operators, thereby extending the application of this duty from physical spaces to virtual cyberspace—A development that enhances the protection of consumers’ personal and property safety. However, the phrase “corresponding liability” in paragraph 2 of this provision is excessively vague, granting adjudicators overly broad discretion. Coupled with ongoing scholarly debate regarding the precise nature of “corresponding liability”—whether it constitutes joint, several, or supplementary liability—this ambiguity has led to inconsistent judicial application. To address these shortcomings and ensure systemic coherence, “corresponding liability” should be clearly defined as a form of tort liability consistent with the legislative intent. Furthermore, the adoption of a fault-based liability principle, along with detailed rules clarifying the scope and standards of such liability, is essential to enable its precise and uniform application in judicial practice.